The prestigious annual Rose D'Or Awards (now in their 55th year) honour the very best of international radio, TV and online entertainment programmes, and the awards ceremony took place last night (Tuesday, September 13th 2016). Over 400 programmes from more than 130 broadcasters and production companies in 33 different countries were submitted for this year’s Rose d’Or awards. For the first time, a new competition category, 'Radio Event Of The Year' was created. We entered European Dawn Chorus in this category, and we're absolutely delighted to let you know that ... drumroll... WE WON!!! We're absolutely thrilled to pieces, and a massive thanks to all our EBU and BirdLife International partners, we couldn't have done it without you! Click here to read more about the 2016 Rose D'Or awards (in which legendary funnyman John Cleese picked up the Lifetime Achievement award), and click here to relive - and re-listen to - all the beautiful Dawn Chorus birdsong from right across Europe.

***STOP PRESS*** Dawn Chorus Picks Up Another Award!

We're thrilled to let you know that on Friday, October 7th, the Dawn Chorus won the Innovation Award at the PPI Radio Awards in Kilkenny!

The Largest Cotoneaster In Ireland?

One of our listeners from County Cork contacted the programme with some beautiful pictures of her unusually large Cotoneaster plant.

The high roads and byroads of Donegal have been well documented on this programme by our intrepid reporter Katriona McFadden. So, when Alice Leggett’s email arrived, Mooney researcher Michele Browne insisted on going down to find out whether the largest cotoneaster in Ireland was in her own parish of origin – Ballinhassig!

For some expert advice, she brought David O’Regan - who’s Head Gardener at Fota - with her.

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Mooney Tunes/ Gibson Hotel Competition

Mooney Tunes 8 takes place next Sunday, March 24, at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. Doors open at 7pm, and the show begins at 8pm. And what a show we have lined up for you!

Classical music has always been a staple of Mooney Tunes programmes, but this time round, we have excelled ourselves!

We will be joined by one of Ireland's premier sopranos, Claudia Boyle, and top British tenor Lawrence Thackeray. And they will be doing some of the best loved duets from the operatic repertoire.

And if you have never heard an orchestra in full flight with a 60 piece choir, you are in for a real treat on Sunday night. Two of Verdi's most famous choruses will form part of our program, performed by over sixty male and female voices, with the full backing of the RTE concert orchestra.

Mary Byrne will be with us once again. Oliver Callan will be on hand to keep you rolling in the aisles of laughter. We have a very special Elvis Presley tribute lined up, as well. And a few surprises along the way!

Now, some good news!

The Gibson Hotel, over at the Point Village, has offered us an overnight stay on Sunday night, with breakfast the following morning, for two people attending the Mooney Tunes concert.

The Gibson hotel is walking distance from the Bord Gais Energy Theatre. It's on the LUAS line, so it has brilliant access to the city centre as well. AND, they have included dinner for two on Sunday evening as well!

So how about that? Have a nice early evening meal. Stroll across to the theatre. Have a relaxing drink. Enjoy the show. And stroll back along the river for a relaxing night at the Gibson hotel!

Here's what you have to do to win this prize:

First of all, the competition is open to ANYBODY who has already bought tickets for Mooney Tunes, this Sunday. And to anybody who buys tickets up to midnight tonight.

Just write to us at our e-mail address, mooney@rte.ie . And tell us why you deserve this prize. It's that simple. You have until midnight tonight! We will read all the entries first thing tomorrow morning and announce the winner at the beginning of tomorrow's show.

But this part is very important. You must include your booking reference, or ticket number, on your entry. Okay? Don't forget that. It is very important.

And if you want to enter, and are buying tickets this evening, you can do so by logging onto www.ticketmaster.ie.

You can also call 0818-719377. That's the the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre dedicated line at TICKETMASTER. Or you can buy tickets in person, from the theatre box office, without a booking fee. Tickets start at €14.50, and go up to €39.50.

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Table Topics, with Noel Cunningham

We’ve been enjoying our Table Topics game here on Mooney over the past number of weeks and months. It’s a sort of occasional feature on the show, where we ask contestants to speak on a given topic for 90 seconds. And there’s always a nice prize up for grabs for the winner.

Previous judges have included author Cathy Kelly, and celebrity lawyer Gerald Kean. Today our judge is the suave and sophisticated broadcaster and royal watcher Noel Cunningham!

How to take part:

If you think you can talk for 90 seconds on any given subject, and want to take part in Table Topics, then e-mail mooney@rte.ie, tweet @MooneyShow, or from 3pm call 1850 715 900 or text 51551.

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Richie Kavanagh

What do potholes, bucking asses and Elvis Presley all have in common? They have all appeared in novelty songs by the man responsible for the massive hit Aon Focal Eile: Richie Kavanagh!
Now he is back with a new song, to be played for the first time on national radio on Mooney today...

The Largest Cotoneaster In Ireland?

Listener Alice Leggett contacted us from Ballinhassig, Co. Cork, curious if her cotoneaster was the largest in Ireland? We dispatched researcher Michele Browne back to Cork, along with David O'Regan, Head Gardener at Fota, to see the tree...

Table Topics, with Noel Cunningham

We've been enjoying our Table Topics game here on Mooney over the past number of weeks and months. It's a sort of occasional feature on the show, where we ask contestants to speak on a given topic for 90 seconds. And there's always a nice prize up for grabs for the winner.
Previous judges have included author Cathy Kelly, and celebrity lawyer Gerald Kean. Today our judge is the suave and sophisticated broadcaster and royal watcher Noel Cunningham!

Hedgerows: It is an offence to 'cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy hedgerows on uncultivated land during the nesting season from 1 March to 31 August, subject to certain exceptions'. For more information, click here.

UPDATE: February 29th 2016 - Press Release From BirdWatch Ireland:

Putting the record straight: Dates for burning and hedge-cutting have NOT changed

BirdWatch Ireland, Ireland’s largest conservation charity, is very concerned about misinformation that is currently circulating regarding the dates within which the burning of vegetation and cutting of hedges is permitted. It would like to remind landowners that all burning and cutting must cease on 29th February this year and that burning and cutting remains prohibited from 1st March to 31st August.

Despite attempts by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys T.D., to change the laws regulating these dates by introducing the Heritage Bill 2016 earlier this year, it is important to note that the proposed date changes were ultimately NOT made. This is because the bill failed to pass through both houses of the Oireachtas before the recent dissolution of the Dáil in advance of the general election.

The laws in place governing the dates for hedge-cutting and upland burning therefore remain unchanged. The period within which cutting and burning is prohibited are set down in Section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976 (as amended in 2000), which states that:

(a) It shall be an offence for a person to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy, during the period beginning on the 1st day of March and ending on the 31st day of August in any year, any vegetation growing on any land not then cultivated.
(b) It shall be an offence for a person to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy any vegetation growing in any hedge or ditch during the period mentioned in paragraph (a) of this subsection (above).

The existing law provides exemptions for road safety and other circumstances and should be read carefully to ensure compliance.

Section 40 of the Wildlife Act exists to protect nesting birds. Many of our upland bird species are in decline and are in danger of extinction in Ireland; amongst them is the Curlew, which has declined by 80%. Many birds which nest in hedgerows into August are also in serious decline, including the endangered Yellowhammer. The changes to the cutting and burning dates which had been proposed in the now-defunct Heritage Bill 2016 would have caused serious impacts to these birds. A petition launched by BirdWatch Ireland in conjunction with several other national conservation organisations to stop these changes attracted more than 16,200 signatures and rising.

BirdWatch Ireland would also like to advise members of the public that if they see hedges being cut or fires in the uplands on or after 1st March, such activity could be illegal. In such cases, we would encourage people to contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service (www.npws.ie) to report such activity.

BirdWatch Ireland warmly welcomes the demise of the Heritage Bill 2016 and sincerely hopes that any future administration will consider the importance of Ireland’s natural heritage and will not attempt to reintroduce such a flawed and damaging piece of legislation.

RTÉ.ie is the website of Raidió Teilifís Éireann, Ireland's National Public Service Broadcaster.RTÉ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. Images courtesy of Inpho.ie and Getty Images.